1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of athletic equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a free standing punching bag support stand that can be quickly and safely adjusted to accommodate users of different heights.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Athletic equipment that is going to be used by people of differing stature needs to be adjustable so that the particular piece of athletic equipment will allow the user to gain the greatest physical benefit from the use of the particular piece of equipment. In addition, the athletic equipment needs to be adjustable so that users of differing physical stature can safely use the piece of equipment without undue strain during exercise. In the case of punching bags, and in particular what is known as speed bags, the stand holding the speed bag must be adjusted so that the punching bag will be at the proper height in relation to the user.
A variety of adjustable pieces of athletic equipment have been constructed in the prior art. A number of these devices have used, for example, telescoping support sections with locking pins that run perpendicularly through the overlapping telescoping portions in order to hold the piece of equipment at the required height. In general, these devices have a series of holes running perpendicularly through and longitudinally aligned along one supporting section designed to be aligned with a similar arrangement of holes in another supporting portion. After the holes in the respective sections are aligned, a locking pin is inserted to hold the equipment at the desired height. These devices require the user to remove the locking pin, either raise or lower the telescoping section to the appropriate height, and then reinsert the locking pin. If the piece of equipment is heavy, supporting one telescoping section with one hand while removing the locking pin with the other hand may require undue physical effort and it may also be unsafe. There is generally nothing to prevent the telescoping sections of the apparatus from collapsing when the locking pin is removed and thereby injuring the user.
Another drawback of the prior art athletic support devices is that in order to retain their stability, they must be securely mounted to the wall, floor, or ceiling. A rigid mounting may cause damaging structural vibrations in the building when the punching bag is used extensively. This is particularly true if the wall to which the device is attached is of lightweight or hollow construction. The structural limits of this type of construction may even preclude rigid mounting. In addition, there are added installation costs associated with attaching the device rigidly to the floor or walls in the building. Rigidly mounting the athletic device to the building means that the device is no longer portable and therefore not easily moved from its installed location.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a punching bag support device which is stable during use but which remains portable and easily moveable.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a punching bag support device that is adjustable so that the height of the punching bag may be adjusted to accommodate users of differing stature.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable punching bag support device that can be safely and easily adjusted to provide for ease of operation of the adjusting mechanism and for enhanced safety of the user.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable punching bag support device that is stable and remains in place when in use, but may be easily moved to another location.